We organize workers to bargain collectively with their employers. We have obtained historic treaties that have made careers in public transit a pathway to the middle class. We will not stop until all workers are treated fairly. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) yesterday announced a preliminary agreement with Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 689 for a four-year employment contract. If the terms are ratified by the union and approved by WMATA`s board of directors, the new contract will begin after the current contract expires on June 30, 2020, WMATA officials said in a joint press release. ATU Local 689 is the largest union in WMATA. The deal would create incentives for better customer service, allow WMATA to live within the legally mandatory 3 percent subsidy growth cap, and create a way to do internal work at the Cinder Bed Road bus garage on the Silver Line, they said. The services would cover both work and management. Economic details will not be disclosed until union members and WMATA board members have had an opportunity to review the agreement. After many months of negotiations, we have reached a good agreement for our employees, which also offers our Board of Directors an affordable option for bus and train services for the next four years,” said PAUL Wiedefeld, Managing Director and CEO of WMATA. ATU Local 689 President and business agent Raymond Jackson said the deal will help protect union jobs from privatization.
This agreement would benefit all of our members and strengthen careers in public transit as a pathway to the middle class,” jackson said. ”We look forward to providing details to our members as soon as possible.” The new deal looked likely to help end a strike at the bus garage in northern Virginia, the Washington Post reported. (Forestville, MD) January 16, 2019 – Members of ATU Local 689 at the Cinder Bed Road Bus Garage voted overwhelmingly in favour of a collective agreement with Transdev. More than 120 workers have gone on strike since Oct. 24 – the longest transit strike in the region`s history and the first strike at a MetroBus shop in 41 years. Workers will immediately show up at the workshop tomorrow, but will be required to attend refresher sessions. Full bus service is expected to be restored early next week. Our members look forward to seeing their passengers again. This victory would not have been possible without the tireless work of transit drivers, union members, activists and elected representatives from across the DMV. Their support and pressure has made this treaty a reality. Parishioners donated firewood, canned food, homemade meals, clothing, holiday gifts, money and their time.
These workers now have a path to pension security, regular wage increases, better health care, sick leave, paid leave, worker protection and workplace rights. We understand that we can use our power and influence to improve the lives of all workers in our region. That`s why we continue to engage in our communities and in politics to promote policies that benefit workers. ”The ratified contract of the Cinder Bed Road workers shows that their strike was a victory – a victory for decent wages for public transport workers, a victory for fair treatment in the workplace, a victory for drivers and a victory over the privatisation of public transport in the DMV,” said John Costa, President of ATU International. ”I am proud to call these workers my sisters and brothers. So get involved and find out how we can turn a job in public transit into a career in public transit! The strikers risked eviction and foreclosure, but chose to stick together and fight to improve their working conditions. Many members had to delay the necessary medical care and spent the few savings they had. Some strikers borrowed money from friends and family to survive nearly three months.
The strikers stood together in the cold almost every day, with only the heat of two contained fires providing heat. But despite the cost, workers have never lost hope. We know we are stronger when we work together. We can achieve great things when our members get involved. We are aware that we serve a vital public service: getting DMV residents where they need to go. We are stronger when we work hand in hand with drivers to improve and develop public transport. We have consistently fought for an expanded and accessible public transport system and have spoken out against budget cuts of any kind. ”This strike has always been bigger than a garage,” said Raymond Jackson, president and business agent of ATU Local 689.
These workers have shown what you can accomplish by fighting for what you deserve. This strike should be a warning to public transit systems across the country. They should reconsider the privatization of public transport. This is what you risk when trying to cut costs on the backs of workers and drivers. ATU Local 689 consists of more than 13,000 members and retirees who work in the many skilled transportation trades for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), MetroAccess, Transdev, DASH and DC Streetcar. Local 689 was founded on January 19, 1916 and is a member of the Amalgamated Transit Union (AFL-CIO/CLC), the largest labor organization representing transit workers in the United States and Canada. The strike began in October. ATU Local 689 strongly opposed the privatization of the garage operation by WMATA, which is managed by Transdev. .